Atheist group sues California city over ‘divisively religious’ memorial

[rug]

By Eric W. Dolan
Sunday, June 2, 2013 12:21 EDT

An organization that promotes secularism has sued a city in California in hopes of blocking the construction of a religiously-themed veterans memorial.

In their lawsuit, the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center said the memorial violated the separation of church and state. Lake Elsinore’s polished black granite memorial depicts a soldier kneeling in prayer before a Christian cross.

“The city has clearly violated the First Amendment by unnecessarily choosing a divisively religious means of honoring our veterans,” said William Burgess, an attorney with the Appignani Humanist Legal Center. “In addition, the California constitution prohibits any governmental funding whatsoever for religious purposes, including religious monuments.”

Proponents of the memorial have said it is a historically accurate depiction of a World War II-era soldier honoring a fallen colleague. In their lawsuit, however, the Appignani Humanist Legal Center noted several city officials supported the memorial specifically because of its Christian symbolism.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/02/atheist-group-sues-california-city-over-divisively-religious-memorial/

[Ian David]

1. It *is* diverse! It represents both kinds of Christianity.

[Bad Thoughts]

2. Blech!

My mother and sister live near Elsinore. Over the last ten years, that whole valley have become populated by bitter, knee-jerk conservatives.

[niyad]

4. and that is a shame--I remember visiting friends there years ago--it was a nice place.

[BlueJazz]

3. Oh Brother..More of that "Freedom is not free" bullshit.

Of course freedom is free.
Just be born rich or to wealthy or powerful parents. Presto!..Freedom is Free.

Go to War ?..Noooooo
Get your arm/leg shot off?...Noooo
Pay for the war?...Nooooooo
Come back to USA and live on the street? Noooooo

[skepticscott]

5. And does anyone doubt

that someone in the group designing this thing said something to the effect of "ok, we gotta stick something Jewish in there, so they can't say this is all about Christianity"?

[LostOne4Ever]

6. Couldn't they

Just depicted a stick in the ground with a solider's helmet?

[Rob H.]

7. Something like this would've worked, too